Bike-loving Dutch grapple with illegal electric 'fatbike' craze gripping the Netherlands
Bike-loving Dutch grapple with illegal electric 'fatbike' craze gripping the Netherlands
Some 17,500 fatbikes imported from China have been held by Dutch authorities over concerns about speed manipulation and safety risks.
Some 17,500 fatbikes imported from China have been held by Dutch authorities over concerns about speed manipulation and safety risks.
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Heh, I think I just got one of these types inadvertently.
1000 watt motor (2x 500), large batt etc... I think it does close to 35 mph if I try but I haven't even taken it out of pedal assist yet.
I'm in USA, so laws are more localized. I suspect this thing might be illegal, but it's gray area right now. Gonna just behave with it and hope for the best.
The concern I would have is that currently there isn't great established ways to get something like this clearly made legal... And I have a needed use case.
I weigh enough that clearly legal lower wattage bikes are all not rated for me... Barely. I'm using the bike to lose weight. In the interim, this is what works.
I hope they clear it in some capacity, like just age or "legal until you are stupid" like riding it on public sidewalks or such. A wattage limit overall is stupid unless there's a way to certify you will behave.
The way laws like this tend to be enforced is generally either someone has to report you or you have to cause a problem and then are also retroactively charged for the other infractions. So if you are already doing your best to be safe and not annoying, that's all you can do. Fly under the radar.
I'm using the bike to lose weight. In the interim, this is what works.
That ain't gonna help much, especially when you rely on a powerful motor to help move you. For reference:
That's fine except I'm not using it in straight power mode, and set my pacing by my heart rate. I'm using it exactly as my doctor advised.
If my heart rate is consistently maintaining elevated levels matching what the doc said, then the video is irrelevant.
An exercise you cannot control the pace of properly is counter intuitive and can be dangerous to certain health conditions. If used correctly, this only expands access to more users.
Key words "used correctly".
There are people needing this kind of assist not from being fat. In my case, I'm in a long haul recovery from a severe spinal injury. Trying to rebuild considerable loss of muscle.
Without the assist, cycling would literally be impossible.
Due to posture needed for long walking, that isn't possible yet for me either. Anything over half a mile destroys me for a full day.
My diet is already advised by a doctor. Your videos present like my food choices and lack of movement are 100% the problem.
FWIW an ebike got me fit enough that I could ride a heavy steel MTB 20+ miles without getting winded. Keep at it and you can get into pretty good shape!
That's frikken awesome to hear. I used to do century rides back from the 90's and 2000's, and really have missed the trails.
Thank you!
Good to hear you're at least using it in their minimal capability as a pedal assist bike and not just blasting it off at the get go. It takes dedication to do the former, not a lot to do the latter. Hope you have a healthy recovery.
Your videos present like my food choices and lack of movement are 100% the problem.
(I'm not the original commenter.)
That's not at all what the first video is saying. It's saying that exercise is not good for losing weight. That your body will burn the same calories every day regardless of how much you exercise unless you are running marathons or biking like a professional athlete. The science behind it is very interesting. I just happened to watch that video last night. Your body burns fewer calories at rest if you exercise more. So it ends up not making a difference.
Exercise is still very, very healthy. Just not good for weight loss. So, in that sense, yes, your food choices are important because the only way to actually lose weight is by cutting calories.
Watch the whole video. It's fascinating stuff.
I didn't watch the second video and can't say anything about it.
That's fair, and understood in most cases that's appropriate.
Unfortunately I'm my case, I need to replace missing muscle mass which should also then in turn burn more calories etc.
I'll return to the video with that in mind. My long term goal is to some day learn from and spar with my buddy who teaches martial arts... He's already helped me with diet adjustment tips to be able to stick to the changes the doc wants.
Fingers crossed
replace missing muscle mass which should also then in turn burn more calories etc.
That was in the video, too! That matters a lot less than you'd think. But exercising and building muscle is a great idea!
That doesn't tell the whole story, yes, long term you don't actually burn more calories long term by exercising, but it's part of an entire way of life that makes you healthier and you will tend to lose fat.
And studies show that riding an ebike means you are more likely to use it and exercise more, which provides a lot of health benefits, including weight loss.
I think you're basically agreeing with the video i shown, yet missed half the point. Losing weight is depend on the input of energy and not the output of energy. As i stated, riding an ebike not gonna help much on losing weight but since OP's choice isn't entirely based on losing weight, i think your point and mine is moot.
I myself is a subject of both side of the argument, i work blue collar and use a lot of energy working, while i didn't exactly change my working habit, i've been stress eating a lot lately, which in return gain some weight. On the other hand, after getting an ebike my riding distance rise from 0 to 50km per week. So yes, i understand your point and both POV is true, but my point still stand, exercise won't help you lose weight, but it will make you healthier.
Edit:
It's also based on how you ride the ebike, the proponents of s-pedelec/class-3 doesn't usually pedal and mostly use throttle, which in the end doesn't get you any exercise at all. When OP mentioned 1000w ebike i first assume they're one of them, that's my mistake.
Your article suggested the same:
It's important to note that not all e-bikes are created equal when it comes to exercise benefits. The study found that class 1 e-bikes, which provide pedal assistance up to 20 mph, were the most effective at promoting physical activity. This is because riders still have to pedal and put in some effort to maintain a consistent speed. In contrast, class 2 e-bikes, which have a throttle that allows riders to cruise without pedaling, were found to be less effective at promoting exercise.
I own a class-2 but i pedal most of the time, only throttle when interact with junction/intersection/roundabout